Soba Noodle Salad with Pesto and Grilled Eggplant

"Buckwheat and basil actually work really well together," says Bill Kim about this unlikely match-up of Japanese and Mediterranean flavors. This chunky salad has a great mix of textures, too: velvety grilled eggplant, crunchy radishes and juicy cucumbers.

Total Time: 1:00

Level:
Moderate

Serves:
10

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Ingredients

1.00 lb. Asian eggplant

1.00 c. extra-virgin olive oil

kosher salt

0.50 c. pine nuts

2.00 c. basil leaves

4.00 clove garlic

1.00 tbsp. soy sauce

0.50 lb. buckwheat soba noodles

1.00 c. cherry tomatoes

6.00 large radishes

0.50 English cucumber

1.00 c. mint leaves

Directions

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Brush the eggplant with olive oil and season with salt. Grill over moderate heat, turning once, until tender and lightly charred, 6 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a plate and let cool completely, then cut into 3/4-inch pieces.

In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderate heat, tossing, until golden, about 4 minutes; transfer to a plate and let cool.

In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, basil and garlic and pulse until finely chopped. With the machine on, add the 1 cup of olive oil in a steady stream. Add the soy sauce and pulse to blend. Season the pesto with salt.

In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the soba noodles until al dente, about 4 minutes. Rinse the noodles under cold water, then drain and pat dry.

In a large bowl, toss the soba noodles with the pesto until evenly coated. Add the grilled eggplant, tomatoes, radishes, cucumber and 3/4 cup of the mint leaves and toss well. Season the soba noodle salad with salt. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of mint leaves on top and serve.